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Tulnar Architecture and Artistic Influence
Imoxator
Member
Hello! Looking into Tulnar, I noticed something interesting:
There's plenty of talk about real-world influences for the races (excluding Ren'Kai, as a side note) that abandoned Verra, but there's no talk about what artistic influences have impacted the Tulnar, Verra's most loyal remnants. All I have found is: "In a similar fashion, their cultural markers are also going to be a combination of different influences, so they're very differently constructed culture than what is found in the other eight races."
What real-world influences could/should/will impact Tulnar racial armor and architecture? How do YOU think Tulnar racial armor and architecture should appear, based on their current factors of life? They are the only playable race on Verra that has had consistent access to the Essence for the past 1000+ years, after all.
On a secondary note, I'm concerned that, from what we've seen (bone jewelry, wood/bone/hide structures, etc.), the Tulnar appear to be some Neanderthal, cave-dwelling race that, over the 1000+ year history between the Exodus and eventual return from Sanctus, devolved in the Underrealm instead of evolved. Do you think this is an intentional design choice? Do you think we're just seeing the basic renditions of Tulnar design and they're actually much more advanced than what we've seen? Do you like that this might be the extent of their artistic design? Or do you wish it was different?
Aelean architecture has a French medieval influence.[109]
Dünir have a Nordic cultural influence.[110]
Empyreans have a Greco-Roman imperialistic feeling.[111]
The Kaelar have a European racial influence.[112]
The Niküa have a Polynesian influence.[113][111]
The Py'Rai have a Navajo Native American influence.[111] Py'Rai architecture has a woodland inspiration.[54][114]
Pyrian architecture has a Greco-Roman influence.[115]
The Vaelune have a Middle Eastern racial influence.[116]
The Vek have a Mesoamerican racial influence.[116]
There's plenty of talk about real-world influences for the races (excluding Ren'Kai, as a side note) that abandoned Verra, but there's no talk about what artistic influences have impacted the Tulnar, Verra's most loyal remnants. All I have found is: "In a similar fashion, their cultural markers are also going to be a combination of different influences, so they're very differently constructed culture than what is found in the other eight races."
What real-world influences could/should/will impact Tulnar racial armor and architecture? How do YOU think Tulnar racial armor and architecture should appear, based on their current factors of life? They are the only playable race on Verra that has had consistent access to the Essence for the past 1000+ years, after all.
On a secondary note, I'm concerned that, from what we've seen (bone jewelry, wood/bone/hide structures, etc.), the Tulnar appear to be some Neanderthal, cave-dwelling race that, over the 1000+ year history between the Exodus and eventual return from Sanctus, devolved in the Underrealm instead of evolved. Do you think this is an intentional design choice? Do you think we're just seeing the basic renditions of Tulnar design and they're actually much more advanced than what we've seen? Do you like that this might be the extent of their artistic design? Or do you wish it was different?
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edit: serious answer: Steven has mentioned in the past that "Americans are like tulnar in a way" in the sense that the tulnar culture is a melting pot of lots of different smaller civilizations in pre-Apoc Verra.
Understanding this, and seeing that Py'Rai have "native american" influence and Vek have "mesoamerican" influence, that only leaves one other cultural influence to tap into it.
2000's era skinny jeans and flannels.
I believe a concept that could work well for them is something akin to the Lizardmen from Warhammer, which is an intriguing blend of what I would describe as a "Primitive High Culture." They are often portrayed as a highly organized and advanced ancient civilization with profound knowledge of magic, technology, and complex societal structures. Simultaneously, they maintain a tribal and primal aspect in their culture, deeply connected to nature and possessing a strong warrior tradition.
It would be awesome to see elements like that reflected in the architecture of the Tulnar.
This seems odd since the Sladeborne avian race were noted by Steven as corrupted because they did not go in the Underrealm...
don't expect them to have a unique architecture influence or racial armor appearance for launch, we have never seen/heard about it, 6 years in development if they were to have it we would have seen it, maybe post launch,
and keep in mind, this game is already massive, and we want a release before 2030
Honestly, as a Kickstarter stretch goal I wouldn't be mad if they didn't have much known about them period at launch and the first expansion was a "deep dive" of tulnar stuff in terms of lore/architecture/racial stuff.
The purpose of the post is to bring attention to the lack of information we do have, as well as provide ideas to developers on how they could design Tulnar racial cosmetics and architecture. We haven’t seen much information on them yet because, exactly as you stated, they are a stretch goal. Same reason why naval warfare information is limited. But I disagree with the assumption that they likely won’t have unique architecture or racial armor.
However you look at it, Tulnar will have architecture and racial cosmetics at launch. They can’t not, even if it’s a carbon copy of Kaelar design. Would you rather have the designers go the lazy route and copy another race’s designs, or help them come up with something unique that thematically makes sense?
I totally agree! I think the first few stages will be simple design. Things will really start to ramp up on their unique architecture once we hit the city phase. They’ve had access to the Essence for 1000+ years, whereas the other races are just now rediscovering it, so I think it makes sense their structures will have a more magical design to them.
I'm not sure what to expect about their architecture, but, having spent a long time underground, it should have left an impact. Maybe they still prefer underground dwellings. It could be carved rocks "catacomb" like or the type with grass as a roof... turf house.
Fancier than those, of course.
Awesome find! I bet you’re right and what we’re seeing in this image isn’t a true representation of Tulnar architecture. It’s likely just a basic rendition they threw out for us.
I actually wouldn't mind seeing a sort of mixing of the other influences with a touch of something else that makes the Tulnar aesthetic unique. I know that's probably easier said than done, but it'd make sense that the Tulnar would be influenced by their ancestors
That could get tricky to find something that actually looks good.
Just a random question for everyone, would you be happy if they made it so their racial style couldn't be a Node aesthetic just yet?
If maybe they kept it a mystery until the first expansion, then they could really open up the underrealm and that's when you ser Tulnar archetectur? It might give them time to flesh out what their racial aesthetic is, like lots have said, giving them their own style might be tricky given the other stuff they have to do.
Good point.
How will the tulnar influence the nodes on the surface?
And how will all the other races make the underground nodes look?
Will we have 2 versions for each race, with buildings meant to be embedded into rock and buildings on surface?
I'd certainly be disappointed at first, but knowing it'd come later would lessen that. I'd rather the other stuff in the game be polished a lot more than for IS to feel rushed, for sure. It'd certainly seem a little jarring to see a Tulnar-influenced node change from one to the other after the application of an expansion, but...doesn't seem like that big a deal tbh.
They would want to hold on to what they knew from before on the surface, but eventually it would start to evolve and be influenced by what was around them. I'm interested to see what they do for the Tulnar.
100%
I think they’ll be something like “Wise. Noble. Unmovable”
We could just delete the SPQR elves for Tulnar.